The Science of Overabundance

The Science of Overabundance

Author: William J. Mcshea

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 2003-01-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 1588340627

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Easily the most common of America’s large wildlife species, white-tailed deer are often referred to as "overabundant." But when does a species cross the threshold from common to overpopulated? This question has been the focus of debate in recent years among hunters, animal rights activists, and biologists. William McShea and his colleagues explore every aspect of the issue in The Science of Overabundance. Are there really too many deer? Do efforts to control deer populations really work? What broader lessons can we learn from efforts to understand deer population dynamics? Through twenty-three chapters, the editors and contributors dismiss widely held lore and provide solid information on this perplexing problem.


Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer

Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer

Author: David G. Hewitt

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2011-06-24

Total Pages: 668

ISBN-13: 1482295989

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Winner of the Wildlife Society Outstanding Edited Book Award for 2013! Winner of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society Outstanding Book Award for 2011! Winner of a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award for 2011! Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer organizes and presents information on the most studied large mammal species in the world. The book covers the evolutionary history of the species, its anatomy, physiology, and nutrition, population dynamics, and ecology across its vast range (from central Canada through northern South America). The book then discusses the history of management of white-tailed deer, beginning with early Native Americans and progressing through management by Europeans and examining population lows in the early 1900s, restocking efforts through the mid 1900s, and recent, overabundant populations that are becoming difficult to manage in many areas. Features: Co-published with the Quality Deer Management Association Compiles valuable information for white-tailed deer enthusiasts, managers, and biologists Written by an authoritative author team from diverse backgrounds Integrates white-tailed deer biology and management into a single volume Provides a thorough treatment of white-tailed deer antler biology Includes downloadable resources with color images The backbone of many state wildlife management agencies' policies and a featured hunting species through much of their range, white-tailed deer are an important species ecologically, socially, and scientifically in most areas of North America. Highly adaptable and now living in close proximity to humans in many areas, white-tailed deer are both the face of nature and the source of conflict with motorists, home-owners, and agricultural producers. Capturing the diverse aspects of white-tailed deer research, Biology and Management of White-tailed Deer is a reflection of the resources invested in the study of the species’ effects on ecosystems, predator-prey dynamics, population regulation, foraging behavior, and browser physiology.


Quality Whitetails

Quality Whitetails

Author: Karl V. Miller

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 9780811734356

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Top deer biologists and deer hunting authors discuss how and when hunters should harvest bucks and antlerless deer, and how to ensure a better chance of getting that trophy buck.


The Vanishing Present

The Vanishing Present

Author: Donald M. Waller

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-08-01

Total Pages: 530

ISBN-13: 0226871746

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Straddling temperate forests and grassland biomes and stretching along the coastline of two Great Lakes, Wisconsin contains tallgrass prairie and oak savanna, broadleaf and coniferous forests, wetlands, natural lakes, and rivers. But, like the rest of the world, the Badger State has been transformed by urbanization and sprawl, population growth, and land-use change. For decades, industry and environment have attempted to coexist in Wisconsin—and the dynamic tensions between economic progress and environmental protection makes the state a fascinating microcosm for studying global environmental change. The Vanishing Present brings together a distinguished set of contributors—including scientists, naturalists, and policy experts—to examine how human pressures on Wisconsin’s changing lands, waters, and wildlife have redefined the state’s ecology. Though they focus on just one state, the authors draw conclusions about changes in temperate habitats that can be applied elsewhere, and offer useful insights into future of the ecology, conservation, and sustainability of Wisconsin and beyond. A fitting tribute to the home state of Aldo Leopold and John Muir, The Vanishing Present is an accessible and timely case study of a significant ecosystem and its response to environmental change.


Mammalian Dispersal Patterns

Mammalian Dispersal Patterns

Author: B. Diane Chepko-Sade

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1987

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 0226102688

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Mammalian Dispersal Patterns examines the ways that social structure affects population genetics and, in turn, rates of evolution, in mammalian groups. It brings together fieldwork in animal behavior and wildlife biology with theoretical work in demography and population genetics. The focus here is dispersal—whether, how, and when individuals leave the areas where they are born. Theoretical work in population genetics indicates that such social factors as skewed sex ratios, restrictive mating patterns, and delayed age of first reproduction will lower the reproductive variability of a population by reducing the number of genotypes passed from one generation to the next. Field studies have shown that many mammalian species do exhibit many such social characteristics. Among horses, elephant seals, and a number of primates, the majority of females are inseminated by only a fraction of the males. In pacts of wolves and mongooses, usually only the highest-ranking male and female breed in a given season. Although socially restricted mating tends to lower genetic variability in isolated populations, it actually tends to increase genetic variability in subdivided populations with low rates of migration between subunits. Among some species there is little dispersal and thus little gene flow between subpopulations; other species travel far afield before mating. The contributors to this volume examine actual data from populations of mammals, the way patterns of dispersal correlate with the genetic structure of individuals and populations, and mathematical models of population structure. This interdisciplinary approach has an important bearing on work in conservation of both wildlife and zoo populations, for it shows that the home range and the population size needed to maintain genetic variability can differ greatly from one species to the next. The volume also offers a fruitful model for future research.


Leonard Lee Rue III's Way of the Whitetail

Leonard Lee Rue III's Way of the Whitetail

Author: Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III, Leonard Lee Rue, III

Publisher:

Published:

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 9781610604369

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Now available in paperback, "Leonard Lee Rue III's Way of the Whitetail" leads readers through the whitetail's behavior. Rue writes in his trademark 'soft science' style, with the authority of one who knows through personal research the whitetail's every habit and haunt. The result is an easy read that's scientifically sound. Readers follow the whitetail's behavior through the seasons-month by month. Rue also covers this animal's extraordinary sensory abilities and provides insight into the versatility and adaptability of this creature, which occupies a vast geographic range while other species struggle to merely exist.